Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Arthritis Knee Braces

By Amy Clark

One of the most common parts beset with arthritis are knee joints, and the use of arthritis knee braces is an age old method of reducing the often excruciating pain caused by arthritis. Arthritis knee braces help lessen the stress on the knee and leg, consequently aligning the leg in the correct position to lessen the impact of arthritis pain.

Arthritis knee braces can be grouped into two generic classes - off the shelf and custom made. "Off-the-shelf" implies picking out the appropriate knee braces from a ready-made set, while "custom made" pertains to having braces designed based on precise specifications and addressing your unique knee requirements. Obviously, custom made knee braces are more expensive than the off the shelf ones. However, a custom-made brace is considerably better, as it is designed to suit your specific condition. Together with arthritis knee braces, your choice of shoes is also important in determining the amount of pressure on the knees. The particular shoes a patient wears can either make your pain worse or improve it considerable.

Besides the 2 broad types, arthritis knee braces can also be classified into 4 distinct classes.

An off-loader arthritis knee brace, otherwise known as an unloader, is generally worn to provide knee alignment. These knee braces offer knee support by decreasing the varus or valgus stress from the knees, or the abnormal mechanical alignment on 1 side of the knee.

Prophylactic braces, meanwhile, are worn typically by individuals who suffer from knee injuries, particularly sports injuries.

On the other hand, rehabilitative braces are recommended to repair medial and lateral mobility. These braces likewise improve the flexion and extension of the joints of the knee following knee injuries or surgeries.

OA knee braces, as their name implies, are worn especially by OA (Osteoarthritis) patients. OA knee braces manage pain by enabling proper knee alignment.

In general, arthritis knee braces are an inexpensive and reliable way of relieving joint pain of the knees. Knee braces have been known to work in the majority of cases. Nonetheless, there are opposing opinions about their efficiency.

Some groups insist that these braces are only a momentary treatment to a long-lasting condition, and often delay the requirement for knee surgery. The artificial support of these knee braces can debilitate the knee and leg muscles, which may consequently bring about permanent weakness and all the more deteriorate the patient's condition.

However, numerous patients swear that regular use of arthritis knee braces effectively work in promoting proper alignment, restraining your body weight on the knee, and even significantly relieving pain.

Obviously, the end results of the brace are based on the specific conditions of each case and must not be generalized. One's body constitution, overall health, as well as the stage of arthritis, to name a few, can influence the outcome of knee brace use.

In deciding on the appropriate knee braces for yourself, always keep your own requirements in mind. The particular type of knee brace for you will be determined by the gravity of your pain or the state of your condition. The more serious the injury or pain, the more extensive the knee braces required. Off the shelf knee braces are equally as effective as custom made ones, except if you have a distinctive area or pain to target or a quite unusual knee shape.

It is always imperative that you seek the advice of a doctor first to identify the right knee brace type for your condition. Always consult a qualified doctor before deciding on any type of treatment, be it medicinal drugs or alternate therapies or knee braces. - 15343

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